COGNITIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTECEDENTS OF THREAT AND CHALLENGE APPRAISAL

Cognitive appraisal theories of stress and emotion propose that cognit ive appraisals precede physiological responses, whereas peripheralist theories propose that physiological arousal precedes cognitive process es. Three studies examined this issue regarding threat and challenge r esponses to potential stress. Study 1 supported cognitive appraisal th eory by demonstrating that threat and challenge cognitive appraisals a nd physiological responses could be elicited experimentally by manipul ating instructional set. Studies 2 and 3, in contrast, found that mani pulations of physiological response patterns consistent with challenge and threat did not result in corresponding changes in cognitive appra isal. Appraisals in Study 3, however, were related to subjective pain independent of the physiological manipulation. These studies suggest a central role for cognitive appraisal processes in elicitation of thre at and challenge responses to potentially stressful situations.